CRIST: (Updated: Bruno proposal)

[freddymo]

Originally Posted by Sightseek

The Senate is releasing their plan right now (11 am) at the state capital...

This should be special..

[freddymo]

Originally Posted by paisjpq

IMO they have a very poor response time when anything goes wrong with a horse....During the spring meet I sat in the clubhouse and watched a fallen jockey hold his broken down horse for more than 5 minutes with NO help even on the way it wasn't until the horse collapsed on the track and the entire grandstand gasped that there was any reaction from the track staff...
same goes for the human ambulance....first day of this meet the jocks lay on the track for a long time before the ambulance got to them....
and then there was Dream of angels....it took a ridiculous amount of time for Keeneland to find a screen to shield that poor horse as it lay bleeding to death in the paddock...then Teuflesberg managed to break away from the handlers while they again waited for the ambulance...
Say what you want about NYRA, I think they do a better job when accidents occur.

Yeah the starter was fired because he sucked so bad, and the gate crew shouldn't be working at a petting farm never mind dealing with drugged 1200lbs horse flesh..

The keeneland stuff you mentioned is reprehensible.

[Kasept]

Originally Posted by theiman

The other 46 weeks of the year at NYRA is not much to look at. I have seen similar small fields that other venues have had problems with, poor track conditions and cancelled days at Aqueduct. Cancelled races at Belmont too.

Your most laughable comment yet. Yeah.. that Belmont Fall Championship Meet is a real eyesore with the 16 graded stakes.. And the spring racing at Belmont is just dreadful. The Aqueduct main track meet in the late winter/early spring (Wood) is always welcome relief from Gulfstream's embarassing product and the fall (Cigar Mile) at Big A is a pleasant last hurrah before the winter sets in.

Your small field comment displays a lack of current event knowledge as field size has increased dramatically since mid-summer in NY with the purse increases. Field size up.. handle up.. You're using old notes.

Originally Posted by theiman

Does anyone think that if NYRA still had the contract for about 10 more years they would make any effort to improve conditions at Big A or Belmont backstretch areas? ---I doubt it. More likely status quo, open the doors, take in the money and close the doors at the end of the day. Better yet, if anyone had a business they owned, would they want it to be run by NYRA's management?

More lack of knowledge and parrotting of someone's smear tactic press releases. Guess you're not familiar with Anna House.. or the backstretch employees health care program.

Running a racetrack is not like any storefront business. It's running a sports franchise, small city and zoo all at once. And as to your last ridiculous assertion, there isn't a business anywhere that wouldn't love to have the likes of Charlie Hayward, Steve Duncker, John Tierney, Bob Palumbo, et al, on their staff or Board.

[Sightseek]

Bruno's proposal...

http://www.drf.com/news/article/89462.html

By "best brains in the whole world" does he mean those who said that racing would be booming if we promoted the jockeys more and gave them helmut cams?

[parsixfarms]

In Senator Joe's world, "brains" is equal to the size of one's bankroll.

[Kasept]

From Matt Hegarty's piece on DRF linked above...

"During a press conference on Tuesday morning, Bruno said that Spitzer's recommendation ignored the expertise and "creativity" of the companies behind three other partnerships that have made presentations on their plans for the franchise. Under the new state board - which would be called the Racing, Gaming, and Equine Sports Development Corp. - those companies would be free to bid on any part of the franchise."

Hysterical.. What expertise? What creativity? Raising takeout? That's the expert and creative suggestion of the Bruno interests... And what three other companies? Magna, CDI and DNC have left Empire.. Excelsior didn't bother to attend the "hearing" last week and their expert/creative guy (Richard Fields) is gone too.. Capital Play is a complete fraud.. What three companies Joe?

Bruno had no complaints with the system outlined to award the franchise originally, but now wants a whole new process created after the fact. The whole thing is utterly farcical and sad. As has been asked here before, "Shouldn't he be in jail by now?"

[mes5107]

Bruno also said that the corporation would explore the consolidation of the racing franchise with the state's six offtrack betting corporations, which are owned by counties in New York and provide revenue to their localities. Discussions involving consolidation have taken place "casually" between Bruno and the New York City Off-Track Betting Corp., Bruno said.

This sounds like a great idea, but I doubt that it will ever happen. Too many people have hands in the OTB's pockets.

[Cannon Shell]

Bruno said that he expects the Senate to make compromises, but he contended that his proposal made the "most sense" for New York.

"How could they not be for this?" Bruno said. "It makes so much sense. I haven't heard anybody say it can't work, that it won't work."





Joe....it wont work....there is one

[sumitas]

...if they do not receive the franchise...and it will happen Joe because of your conduct.
http://news.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=41373

At the end of the article Joe acts like a playground bully. He thinks he can just take away the NYRA land because he says so.

The NYRA soap opera is getting old. The focus should be on racing, not these incompetent fools who seem to cry constantly. Why is it they need slots to save racing in NY? NY racing could easily break even if the stooges weren't running it. There must be big money in slots for them personally.

If you asked me, toss NYRA and just let the government run it. What is the point if NYRA is just going to be a non-profit, or in their case a lose money entity, anyway?

The racing runs itself. NYRA wants you to believe the actually do something but everyone knows the guy betting his dollar is keeping the engine going.

Originally Posted by sumitas

...if they do not receive the franchise...and it will happen Joe because of your conduct.
http://news.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=41373

At the end of the article Joe acts like a playground bully. He thinks he can just take away the NYRA land because he says so.

They can just take away the NYRA land. What do you think NYRA can just sell the land for a billion dollars and go out and spend it? They are a non-profit and the land and any money gotten from it would go back to the state because without the land there would be no racing, thus no NYRA. This whole thing is hilarious.

Maybe a non-profit food group like Feed the Children could just raise millions for food and then just say the hell with it and sell the trucks and the food to a supermarket and then go run off to the islands with the money. LOL

[ARyan]

I am not a backer of Bruno, Spitzer, or NYRA. To be honest, I am just very much disappointed in how this has all been handled.

What I have not seen anyone bring up is how in 2003, then Attorney General of NYS, Elliot Spitzer publicly lambasted NYRA. Now 4 years later, he says NYRA is the answer. That I do not understand. What sort of complete reform, that was called for by Spitzer, did NYRA do in 4 years to make them the most competent of all choices in Spitzers eyes? Perhaps they are, but if so, why is Spitzer not calling for further reform from NYRA?

Reform is not a bad thing for NYS Racing, however this process has been flawed from the start, and is now just coming down to a battle of political egos.

[zippyneedsawin]

Originally Posted by Benevolus

The NYRA soap opera is getting old. The focus should be on racing, not these incompetent fools who seem to cry constantly. Why is it they need slots to save racing in NY? NY racing could easily break even if the stooges weren't running it. There must be big money in slots for them personally.

If you asked me, toss NYRA and just let the government run it. What is the point if NYRA is just going to be a non-profit, or in their case a lose money entity, anyway?

The racing runs itself. NYRA wants you to believe the actually do something but everyone knows the guy betting his dollar is keeping the engine going.

WOW... that's the worst idea I've heard in a LOOOOOONG time.

Originally Posted by zippyneedsawin

WOW... that's the worst idea I've heard in a LOOOOOONG time.

If NYRA is a non-profit that is basically getting screwed by the government right now, then it is essentially government run.

Put private entity in charge. Enough of this ridiculous soap opera. I have never heard a bankrupt group with a history of corruption fight so hard for a business that loses money. Hilarious. I guess we all know the reason they are fighting so hard is because the current system is a cashcow for NYRA's friends.

If NY really wanted to improve racing they would just close all the OTB's and make it so you have to go to the track or bet online. If OTB's are the problem, which all the NYRA fans cry all the time, get rid of them. The thing is NYRA loves them because it is a built in excuse for their incompetency.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by Benevolus

If NYRA is a non-profit that is basically getting screwed by the government right now, then it is essentially government run.

Put private entity in charge. Enough of this ridiculous soap opera. I have never heard a bankrupt group with a history of corruption fight so hard for a business that loses money. Hilarious. I guess we all know the reason they are fighting so hard is because the current system is a cashcow for NYRA's friends.

If NY really wanted to improve racing they would just close all the OTB's and make it so you have to go to the track or bet online. If OTB's are the problem, which all the NYRA fans cry all the time, get rid of them. The thing is NYRA loves them because it is a built in excuse for their incompetency.

When did they fire you? Because only someone who has been personally offended or a politician posturing could come up with such a distorted view.

[ARyan]

To be fair, this is an interesting read (Seeing as it was done by the person who now believes NYRA to be the right fit for NY Racing).

http://www.oag.state.ny.us/press/rep...yra_report.pdf

Again, I am not supporting Bruno's idea, as I think it is completely inane. However, I would like to see why Spitzer saw these problems 4 years ago, and now believes everything is corrected and being run profoundly different.

[stonegossard]

Originally Posted by DaHoss9698

Yes you don't get it.

Freddy seems to be posting in a rather "normal" way.......Byk must have him blowing into one of those breathalyzer's before he is allowed to post.....not the same Freddy we all know and love....

[Hickory Hill Hoff]

Originally Posted by Benevolus

If NYRA is a non-profit that is basically getting screwed by the government right now, then it is essentially government run.

Put private entity in charge. Enough of this ridiculous soap opera. I have never heard a bankrupt group with a history of corruption fight so hard for a business that loses money. Hilarious. I guess we all know the reason they are fighting so hard is because the current system is a cashcow for NYRA's friends.

If NY really wanted to improve racing they would just close all the OTB's and make it so you have to go to the track or bet online. If OTB's are the problem, which all the NYRA fans cry all the time, get rid of them. The thing is NYRA loves them because it is a built in excuse for their incompetency.

You seem to know a lot about the situation Want to end racing in N.Y.? - Go with your ideas! You must not live in N.Y.state.....the politicians here screw up everything. Please...take your nonsense elsewhere; face it - you can't stand NYRA.......

[Sightseek]

Franchise split?

http://news.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=41944

I've heard that Eliot Spitzer is the Ernie Fletcher of New York. Any truth to that rumor?